Homing mechanism for automated footwear platform

ABSTRACT

Systems, methods, and apparatus related to a homing mechanism within a drive mechanism of a lacing engine for an automated footwear platform are described. In an example, the homing apparatus can include an indexing wheel, a plurality of Geneva teeth and a stop tooth. The plurality of Geneva teeth can be distributed around a portion of a perimeter of the indexing wheel. Each Geneva tooth of the plurality of Geneva teeth can include side profiles conforming to a first side profile that generates a first force when engaged by an index tooth on a portion of the drive mechanism. The stop tooth can be located along the perimeter of the indexing wheel between two Geneva teeth. Additionally, the stop tooth can include side profiles conforming to a second side profile that generates a second force when engaged by the index tooth.

CLAIM OF PRIORITY

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.16/591,869, filed Oct. 3, 2019, which application is a divisionalapplication of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/459,754, filed Mar.15, 2017, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,463,109 which issued on Nov. 5, 2019,which application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. ProvisionalPatent Application Ser. No. 62/308,728, filed on Mar. 15, 2016, thecontents of all which are incorporated herein by reference in theirentireties.

The following specification describes various aspects of a motorizedlacing system, motorized and non-motorized lacing engines, footwearcomponents related to the lacing engines, automated lacing footwearplatforms, and related assembly processes. More specifically, thefollowing specification describes motor control methods for use within amotorized lacing engine for an automated footwear platform.

BACKGROUND

Devices for automatically tightening an article of footwear have beenpreviously proposed. Liu, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,691,433, titled “Automatictightening shoe”, provides a first fastener mounted on a shoe's upperportion, and a second fastener connected to a closure member and capableof removable engagement with the first fastener to retain the closuremember at a tightened state. Liu teaches a drive unit mounted in theheel portion of the sole. The drive unit includes a housing, a spoolrotatably mounted in the housing, a pair of pull strings and a motorunit. Each string has a first end connected to the spool and a secondend corresponding to a string hole in the second fastener. The motorunit is coupled to the spool. Liu teaches that the motor unit isoperable to drive rotation of the spool in the housing to wind the pullstrings on the spool for pulling the second fastener towards the firstfastener. Liu also teaches a guide tube unit that the pull strings canextend through.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, like numeralsmay describe similar components in different views. Like numerals havingdifferent letter suffixes may represent different instances of similarcomponents. The drawings illustrate generally, by way of example, butnot by way of limitation, various embodiments discussed in the presentdocument.

FIG. 1 is an exploded view illustration of components of a motorizedlacing system, according to some example embodiments.

FIGS. 2A-2N are diagrams and drawings illustrating a motorized lacingengine, according to some example embodiments.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating components of a motorized lacingsystem, according to some example embodiments.

FIGS. 4-7 are diagrams illustrating a motor control scheme for amotorized lacing engine, according to some example embodiments.

FIGS. 8-9 are flowcharts illustrating motor control techniques for anautomated footwear platform, according got some example embodiments.

The headings provided herein are merely for convenience and do notnecessarily affect the scope or meaning of the terms used.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The concept of self-tightening shoe laces was first widely popularizedby the fictitious power-laced Nike® sneakers worn by Marty McFly in themovie Back to the Future II, which was released back in 1989. WhileNike® has since released at least one version of power-laced sneakerssimilar in appearance to the movie prop version from Back to the FutureII, the internal mechanical systems and surrounding footwear platformemployed in these early versions do not necessarily lend themselves tomass production or daily use. Additionally, previous designs formotorized lacing systems comparatively suffered from problems such ashigh cost of manufacture, complexity, assembly challenges, lack ofserviceability, and weak or fragile mechanical mechanisms, to highlightjust a few of the many issues. The present inventors have developed amodular footwear platform to accommodate motorized and non-motorizedlacing engines that solves some or all of the problems discussed above,among others. The components discussed below provide various benefitsincluding, but not limited to: serviceable components, interchangeableautomated lacing engines, robust mechanical design, reliable operation,streamlined assembly processes, and retail-level customization. Variousother benefits of the components described below will be evident topersons of skill in the relevant arts.

The motorized lacing engine discussed below was developed from theground up to provide a robust, serviceable, and inter-changeablecomponent of an automated lacing footwear platform. The lacing engineincludes unique design elements that enable retail-level final assemblyinto a modular footwear platform. The lacing engine design allows forthe majority of the footwear assembly process to leverage known assemblytechnologies, with unique adaptions to standard assembly processes stillbeing able to leverage current assembly resources.

In an example, the modular automated lacing footwear platform includes amid-sole plate secured to the mid-sole for receiving a lacing engine.The design of the mid-sole plate allows a lacing engine to be droppedinto the footwear platform as late as at a point of purchase. Themid-sole plate, and other aspects of the modular automated footwearplatform, allow for different types of lacing engines to be usedinterchangeably. For example, the motorized lacing engine discussedbelow could be changed out for a human-powered lacing engine.Alternatively, a fully-automatic motorized lacing engine with footpresence sensing or other optional features could be accommodated withinthe standard mid-sole plate.

The automated footwear platform discussed herein can include a motorizedlacing engine to provide automatic (or user activated) tightening oflaces within a footwear platform. The motorized lacing engine utilizescustom motor control routines to provide certain lacing tighteningfunctions for the footwear platform.

This initial overview is intended to introduce the subject matter of thepresent patent application. It is not intended to provide an exclusiveor exhaustive explanation of the various inventions disclosed in thefollowing more detailed description.

Automated Footwear Platform

The following discusses various components of the automated footwearplatform including a motorized lacing engine, a mid-sole plate, andvarious other components of the platform. While much of this disclosurefocuses on a motorized lacing engine, many of the mechanical aspects ofthe discussed designs are applicable to a human-powered lacing engine orother motorized lacing engines with additional or fewer capabilities.Accordingly, the term “automated” as used in “automated footwearplatform” is not intended to only cover a system that operates withoutuser input. Rather, the term “automated footwear platform” includesvarious electrically powered and human-power, automatically activatedand human activated mechanisms for tightening a lacing or retentionsystem of the footwear.

FIG. 1 is an exploded view illustration of components of a motorizedlacing system for footwear, according to some example embodiments. Themotorized lacing system 1 illustrated in FIG. 1 includes a lacing engine10, a lid 20, an actuator 30, a mid-sole plate 40, a mid-sole 50, and anoutsole 60. FIG. 1 illustrates the basic assembly sequence of componentsof an automated lacing footwear platform. The motorized lacing system 1starts with the mid-sole plate 40 being secured within the mid-sole.Next, the actuator 30 is inserted into an opening in the lateral side ofthe mid-sole plate opposite to interface buttons that can be embedded inthe outsole 60. Next, the lacing engine 10 is dropped into the mid-soleplate 40. In an example, the lacing system 1 is inserted under acontinuous loop of lacing cable and the lacing cable is aligned with aspool in the lacing engine 10 (discussed below). Finally, the lid 20 isinserted into grooves in the mid-sole plate 40, secured into a closedposition, and latched into a recess in the mid-sole plate 40. The lid 20can capture the lacing engine 10 and can assist in maintaining alignmentof a lacing cable during operation.

In an example, the footwear article or the motorized lacing system 1includes or is configured to interface with one or more sensors that canmonitor or determine a foot presence characteristic. Based oninformation from one or more foot presence sensors, the footwearincluding the motorized lacing system 1 can be configured to performvarious functions. For example, a foot presence sensor can be configuredto provide binary information about whether a foot is present or notpresent in the footwear. If a binary signal from the foot presencesensor indicates that a foot is present, then the motorized lacingsystem 1 can be activated, such as to automatically tighten or relax(i.e., loosen) a footwear lacing cable. In an example, the footweararticle includes a processor circuit that can receive or interpretsignals from a foot presence sensor. The processor circuit canoptionally be embedded in or with the lacing engine 10, such as in asole of the footwear article.

Examples of the lacing engine 10 are described in detail in reference toFIGS. 2A-2N. Various additional details of the motorized lacing system 1are discussed throughout the remainder of the description.

FIGS. 2A-2N are diagrams and drawings illustrating a motorized lacingengine, according to some example embodiments. FIG. 2A introducesvarious external features of an example lacing engine 10, including ahousing structure 100, case screw 108, lace channel 110 (also referredto as lace guide relief 110), lace channel wall 112, lace channeltransition 114, spool recess 115, button openings 120, buttons 121,button membrane seal 124, programming header 128, spool 130, and lacegrove 132. Additional details of the housing structure 100 are discussedbelow in reference to FIG. 2B.

In an example, the lacing engine 10 is held together by one or morescrews, such as the case screw 108. The case screw 108 is positionednear the primary drive mechanisms to enhance structural integrity of thelacing engine 10. The case screw 108 also functions to assist theassembly process, such as holding the case together for ultra-sonicwelding of exterior seams.

In this example, the lacing engine 10 includes a lace channel 110 toreceive a lace or lace cable once assembled into the automated footwearplatform. The lace channel 110 can include a lace channel wall 112. Thelace channel wall 112 can include chamfered edges to provide a smoothguiding surface for a lace cable to run in during operation. Part of thesmooth guiding surface of the lace channel 110 can include a channeltransition 114, which is a widened portion of the lace channel 110leading into the spool recess 115. The spool recess 115 transitions fromthe channel transition 114 into generally circular sections that conformclosely to the profile of the spool 130. The spool recess 115 assists inretaining the spooled lace cable, as well as in retaining position ofthe spool 130. However, other aspects of the design provide primaryretention of the spool 130. In this example, the spool 130 is shapedsimilarly to half of a yo-yo with a lace grove 132 running through aflat top surface and a spool shaft 133 (not shown in FIG. 2A) extendinginferiorly from the opposite side. The spool 130 is described in furtherdetail below in reference of additional figures.

The lateral side of the lacing engine 10 includes button openings 120that enable buttons 121 for activation of the mechanism to extendthrough the housing structure 100. The buttons 121 provide an externalinterface for activation of switches 122, illustrated in additionalfigures discussed below. In some examples, the housing structure 100includes button membrane seal 124 to provide protection from dirt andwater. In this example, the button membrane seal 124 is up to a few mils(thousandth of an inch) thick clear plastic (or similar material)adhered from a superior surface of the housing structure 100 over acorner and down a lateral side. In another example, the button membraneseal 124 is a 2 mil thick vinyl adhesive backed membrane covering thebuttons 121 and button openings 120.

FIG. 2B is an illustration of housing structure 100 including topsection 102 and bottom section 104. In this example, the top section 102includes features such as the case screw 108, lace channel 110, lacechannel transition 114, spool recess 115, button openings 120, andbutton seal recess 126. The button seal recess 126 is a portion of thetop section 102 relieved to provide an inset for the button membraneseal 124. In this example, the button seal recess 126 is a couple milrecessed portion on the lateral side of the superior surface of the topsection 104 transitioning over a portion of the lateral edge of thesuperior surface and down the length of a portion of the lateral side ofthe top section 104.

In this example, the bottom section 104 includes features such aswireless charger access 105, joint 106, and grease isolation wall 109.Also illustrated, but not specifically identified, is the case screwbase for receiving case screw 108 as well as various features within thegrease isolation wall 109 for holding portions of a drive mechanism. Thegrease isolation wall 109 is designed to retain grease or similarcompounds surrounding the drive mechanism away from the electricalcomponents of the lacing engine 10 including the gear motor and enclosedgear box. In this example, the worm gear 150 and worm drive 140 arecontained within the grease isolation wall 109, while other drivecomponents such as gear box 144 and gear motor 145 are outside thegrease isolation wall 109. Positioning of the various components can beunderstood through a comparison of FIG. 2B with FIG. 2C, for example.

FIG. 2C is an illustration of various internal components of lacingengine 10, according to example embodiments. In this example, the lacingengine 10 further includes spool magnet 136, O-ring seal 138, worm drive140, bushing 141, worm drive key 142, gear box 144, gear motor 145,motor encoder 146, motor circuit board 147, worm gear 150, circuit board160, motor header 161, battery connection 162, and wired charging header163. The spool magnet 136 assists in tracking movement of the spool 130though detection by a magnetometer (not shown in FIG. 2C). The o-ringseal 138 functions to seal out dirt and moisture that could migrate intothe lacing engine 10 around the spool shaft 133.

In this example, major drive components of the lacing engine 10 includeworm drive 140, worm gear 150, gear motor 145 and gear box 144. The wormgear 150 is designed to inhibit back driving of worm drive 140 and gearmotor 145, which means the major input forces coming in from the lacingcable via the spool 130 are resolved on the comparatively large wormgear and worm drive teeth. This arrangement protects the gear box 144from needing to include gears of sufficient strength to withstand boththe dynamic loading from active use of the footwear platform ortightening loading from tightening the lacing system. The worm drive 140includes additional features to assist in protecting the more fragileportions of the drive system, such as the worm drive key 142. In thisexample, the worm drive key 142 is a radial slot in the motor end of theworm drive 140 that interfaces with a pin through the drive shaft comingout of the gear box 144. This arrangement prevents the worm drive 140from imparting any axial forces on the gear box 144 or gear motor 145 byallowing the worm drive 140 to move freely in an axial direction (awayfrom the gear box 144) transferring those axial loads onto bushing 141and the housing structure 100.

FIG. 2D is an illustration depicting additional internal components ofthe lacing engine 10. In this example, the lacing engine 10 includesdrive components such as worm drive 140, bushing 141, gear box 144, gearmotor 145, motor encoder 146, motor circuit board 147 and worm gear 150.FIG. 2D adds illustration of battery 170 as well as a better view ofsome of the drive components discussed above.

FIG. 2E is another illustration depicting internal components of thelacing engine 10. In FIG. 2E the worm gear 150 is removed to betterillustrate the indexing wheel 151 (also referred to as the Geneva wheel151). The indexing wheel 151, as described in further detail below,provides a mechanism to home the drive mechanism in case of electricalor mechanical failure and loss of position. In this example, the lacingengine 10 also includes a wireless charging interconnect 165 and awireless charging coil 166, which are located inferior to the battery170 (which is not shown in this figure). In this example, the wirelesscharging coil 166 is mounted on an external inferior surface of thebottom section 104 of the lacing engine 10.

FIG. 2F is a cross-section illustration of the lacing engine 10,according to example embodiments. FIG. 2F assists in illustrating thestructure of the spool 130 as well as how the lace grove 132 and lacechannel 110 interface with lace cable 131. As shown in this example,lace 131 runs continuously through the lace channel 110 and into thelace grove 132 of the spool 130. The cross-section illustration alsodepicts lace recess 135 and spool mid-section, which are where the lace131 will build up as it is taken up by rotation of the spool 130. Thespool mid-section 137 is a circular reduced diameter section disposedinferiorly to the superior surface of the spool 130. The lace recess 135is formed by a superior portion of the spool 130 that extends radiallyto substantially fill the spool recess 115, the sides and floor of thespool recess 115, and the spool mid-section 137. In some examples, thesuperior portion of the spool 130 can extend beyond the spool recess115. In other examples, the spool 130 fits entirely within the spoolrecess 115, with the superior radial portion extending to the sidewallsof the spool recess 115, but allowing the spool 130 to freely rotationwith the spool recess 115. The lace 131 is captured by the lace groove132 as it runs across the lacing engine 10, so that when the spool 130is turned, the lace 131 is rotated onto a body of the spool 130 withinthe lace recess 135.

As illustrated by the cross-section of lacing engine 10, the spool 130includes a spool shaft 133 that couples with worm gear 150 after runningthrough an O-ring 138. In this example, the spool shaft 133 is coupledto the worm gear via keyed connection pin 134. In some examples, thekeyed connection pin 134 only extends from the spool shaft 133 in oneaxial direction, and is contacted by a key on the worm gear in such away as to allow for an almost complete revolution of the worm gear 150before the keyed connection pin 134 is contacted when the direction ofworm gear 150 is reversed. A clutch system could also be implemented tocouple the spool 130 to the worm gear 150. In such an example, theclutch mechanism could be deactivated to allow the spool 130 to run freeupon de-lacing (loosening). In the example of the keyed connection pin134 only extending is one axial direction from the spool shaft 133, thespool is allowed to move freely upon initial activation of a de-lacingprocess, while the worm gear 150 is driven backward. Allowing the spool130 to move freely during the initial portion of a de-lacing processassists in preventing tangles in the lace 131 as it provides time forthe user to begin loosening the footwear, which in turn will tension thelace 131 in the loosening direction prior to being driven by the wormgear 150.

FIG. 2G is another cross-section illustration of the lacing engine 10,according to example embodiments. FIG. 2G illustrates a more medialcross-section of the lacing engine 10, as compared to FIG. 2F, whichillustrates additional components such as circuit board 160, wirelesscharging interconnect 165, and wireless charging coil 166. FIG. 2G isalso used to depict additional detail surround the spool 130 and lace131 interface.

FIG. 2H is a top view of the lacing engine 10, according to exampleembodiments. FIG. 2H emphasizes the grease isolation wall 109 andillustrates how the grease isolation wall 109 surrounds certain portionsof the drive mechanism, including spool 130, worm gear 150, worm drive140, and gear box 145. In certain examples, the grease isolation wall109 separates worm drive 140 from gear box 145. FIG. 2H also provides atop view of the interface between spool 130 and lace cable 131, with thelace cable 131 running in a medial-lateral direction through lace groove132 in spool 130.

FIG. 2I is a top view illustration of the worm gear 150 and index wheel151 portions of lacing engine 10, according to example embodiments. Theindex wheel 151 is a variation on the well-known Geneva wheel used inwatchmaking and film projectors. A typical Geneva wheel or drivemechanism provides a method of translating continuous rotationalmovement into intermittent motion, such as is needed in a film projectoror to make the second hand of a watch move intermittently. Watchmakersused a different type of Geneva wheel to prevent over-winding of amechanical watch spring, by using a Geneva wheel with a missing slot(e.g., one of the Geneva slots 157 would be missing). The missing slotwould prevent further indexing of the Geneva wheel which was responsiblefor winding the spring and prevents over-winding. In the illustratedexample, the lacing engine 10 includes a variation on the Geneva wheel,indexing wheel 151, which includes a small stop tooth 156 that acts as astopping mechanism in a homing operation. As illustrated in FIGS. 2J-2M,the standard Geneva teeth 155 simply index for each rotation of the wormgear 150 when the index tooth 152 engages the Geneva slot 157 next toone of the Geneva teeth 155. However, when the index tooth 152 engagesthe Geneva slot 157 next to the stop tooth 156 a larger force isgenerated, which can be used to stall the drive mechanism in a homingoperation. Alternatively, the larger force and different force profilegenerated when the index tooth 152 engages the stop tooth 156 can bedetected by a processor circuit within the lacing engine to identify ahome position. The side profile of the stop tooth 156 is steeper andgenerally straight (as compared to the Geneva teeth 155 side profile).The stop tooth 156 can be used to create a known location of themechanism for homing in case of loss of other positioning information,such as the motor encoder 146.

In this example, the homing apparatus (indexing wheel 151) is designedto allow for four complete revolutions between home positions (otherdesigns can be implemented to achieve different numbers of revolutions).The homing apparatus has two home positions, one that represents acompletely loose state (all lace unwound from the spool) and a secondone that represents a completely tight state (as much lace is the systemcan wind onto the spool). When the homing apparatus hits either homeposition the interaction between the index tooth 152 and the stop tooth156 generates a large enough force to stall the drive mechanism. Thesystem can measure the force through a measurement of motor current.Measuring motor current over time can result in generation of a forceprofile, which can be used to identify the home positions. The forceprofile associated with the index tooth 152 engaging the stop tooth 156is sufficiently different than the force profile generated by the indextooth 152 engaging one of the Geneva teeth 155, that the processor canidentify the difference. In an example, the force profile generated byhitting the stop tooth has a larger magnitude and a fast rate of change(e.g., higher slope) over time. The force profile generated by theengagement of the stop tooth is also designed to be distinguishable fromforce profiles generated from pulls on the lace cable, which can betransmitted through the spool into the drive mechanism. Force profilesgenerated by forces transmitted through the lace cable will generally belower in magnitude and the rate of change will be slower (e.g., a lowerslope) over time.

FIG. 2J-2M are illustrations of the worm gear 150 and index wheel 151moving through an index operation, according to example embodiments. Asdiscussed above, these figures illustrate what happens during a singlefull revolution of the worm gear 150 starting with FIG. 2J though FIG.2M. In FIG. 2I, the index tooth 153 of the worm gear 150 is engaged inthe Geneva slot 157 between a first Geneva tooth 155 a of the Genevateeth 155 and the stop tooth 156. FIG. 2K illustrates the index wheel151 in a first index position, which is maintained as the index tooth153 starts its revolution with the worm gear 150. In FIG. 2L, the indextooth 153 begins to engage the Geneva slot 157 on the opposite side ofthe first Geneva tooth 155 a. Finally, in FIG. 2M the index tooth 153 isfully engaged within a Geneva lot 157 between the first Geneva tooth 155a and a second Geneva tooth 155 b. The process shown in FIGS. 2J-2Mcontinues with each revolution of the worm gear 150 until the indextooth 153 engages the stop tooth 156. As discussed above, when the indextooth 153 engages the stop tooth 156, the increased forces can stall thedrive mechanism.

FIG. 2N is an exploded view of lacing engine 10, according to exampleembodiments. The exploded view of the lacing engine 10 provides anillustration of how all the various components fit together. FIG. 2Nshows the lacing engine 10 upside down, with the bottom section 104 atthe top of the page and the top section 102 near the bottom. In thisexample, the wireless charging coil 166 is shown as being adhered to theoutside (bottom) of the bottom section 104. The exploded view alsoprovide a good illustration of how the worm drive 140 is assembled withthe bushing 141, drive shaft 143, gear box 144 and gear motor 145. Theillustration does not include a drive shaft pin that is received withinthe worm drive key 142 on a first end of the worm drive 140. Asdiscussed above, the worm drive 140 slides over the drive shaft 143 toengage a drive shaft pin in the worm drive key 142, which is essentiallya slot running transverse to the drive shaft 143 in a first end of theworm drive 140.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating components of a motorized lacingsystem 1000 for footwear, according to some example embodiments. Thesystem 1000 illustrates basic components of a motorized lacing systemsuch as including interface buttons 1001, optional foot presencesensor(s) 1010, a printed circuit board assembly (PCA) with a processorcircuit 1020, a battery 1021, a charging coil 1022, an encoder 1025, amotor 1041, a transmission 1042, and a spool 1043. In this example, theinterface buttons 1001 and foot presence sensor(s) 1010 can communicatewith the circuit board (PCA) 1020, which also communicates with thebattery 1021 and charging coil 1022. The encoder 1025 and motor 1041 arealso connected to the circuit board 1020 and each other. Thetransmission 1042 couples the motor 1041 to the spool 1043 to form thedrive mechanism 1040. In this example, the motor 1041, transmission1042, and spool 1043 make up the drive mechanism 1040, which in someexamples also includes the encoder 1025.

In an example, the processor circuit 1020 controls one or more aspectsof the drive mechanism 1040. For example, the processor circuit 1020 canbe configured to receive information from the buttons 1001 and/or fromthe foot presence sensor 1010 and/or from the battery 1021 and/or fromthe drive mechanism 1040 and/or from the encoder 1025, and can befurther configured to issue commands to the drive mechanism 1040, suchas to tighten or loosen the footwear, or to obtain or record sensorinformation, among other functions. As discussed further below, in someexamples the processor circuit 1020 can measure voltage and current fromthe battery 1021. The processor circuit 1020 can also monitor signalsfrom the encoder 1025. Information from the battery 1021 and encoder1025 can be used by the processor circuit 1020 to control the drivemechanism 1040, in particular the motor 1041. In some examples, theprocessor circuit 1020 can also measure current draw from the motor1041, which can be used as a measure of torque being developed by themotor 1041. As discussed further below, voltage can be measured byprocessor circuit 1020, and voltage can be used as a measure of motorspeed (or they are directly related).

Motor Control Scheme

FIG. 4-9 are diagrams and flowcharts illustrating aspects of a motorcontrol scheme for controlling a motorized lacing engine, according tosome example embodiments. The motor control schemes discussed herein cancontrol the operation of drive mechanism 1040 and more specificallymotor 1041 (or motor 145 as illustrated in FIGS. 1-2N). The motorcontrol schemes include concepts such as variable sized control segments(FIG. 4), motion profiles (FIGS. 5-7), and modification of motor controlparameters based on battery voltage.

FIG. 4 includes diagrams illustrating the variable size control segmentsconcept, according to an example embodiment. In this example, thevariable segment size motor control scheme involves dividing up thetotal travel in terms of lace take-up, into segments, with the segmentsvarying in size based on position on a continuum of lace travel (e.g.,between home/loose position on one end and max tightness on the other).As the motor is controlling a radial spool and will be controlled,primarily, via a radial encoder on the motor shaft, the segments can besized in terms of degrees of spool travel (which can also be viewed interms of encoder counts). On the loose side of the continuum, thesegments can be larger, such as 10 degrees of spool travel as the amountof lace movement is less critical. However, as the laces are tightenedeach increment of lace travel becomes more and more critical to obtainthe desired amount of lace tightness. Other parameters, such as motorcurrent, can be used as secondary measures of lace tightness orcontinuum position. FIG. 4 includes two separate illustrations ofdifferent segment sizes based on position along a tightness continuum.

In an example, the variable size control segments involve dividing upthe total rotary travel of the drive mechanism into variable sizedsegments based on position within the continuum of travel. As discussedabove, in certain examples, the drive mechanism 1040 can be configuredto have a limited total operational travel. The total operation travelof the drive mechanism can be viewed in terms of rotations or in termsof a linear distance. When viewed in terms of a linear distance, thetotal operational travel can be viewed in terms of the amount of lace(or tensioning member) take-up the drive mechanism is capable of. Thecontinuum of total operational travel of the drive mechanism can beviewed in terms of lace take-up going between a home (or fully loose)position to max tightness (e.g., 4 full revolutions of the spool 1043 ascontrolled by the mechanical stop mechanism discussed above). Movementsof the drive mechanism 1040 on the loose side of the continuum can bemuch more dramatic (e.g., larger), while on the maximum tightness sidethe commanded movements need to have a much finer level of control suchas is illustrated by control segments 401. Accordingly, in an example,the movement continuum is divided into segments or groups with each unitwithin a segment or group representing a certain move size (e.g.,degrees of rotation, encoder counts, or linear distance). On the looseside of the continuum, the unit size can be large or command a biggerrotational movement of the drive mechanism 1040. On the tight side ofthe continuum, the units can be much smaller to command a smallrotational movement of the drive mechanism 1040.

In an example, the variable control segments 402 can include a continuumof travel 410, which can be broken into six control segments 415, 420,425, 430, 435, 440. The continuum of travel 410 can go from detanglingsegments 415 to max tightness segments 440, with homing segment 420,comfort segments 425, performance segments 430, and high performancesegments 435 in between. As illustrated by the different lateraldistances of the blocks illustrating the different control segmentswithin the variable control segments 402, each different segment unitcan command the drive mechanism 1040 to move a different amount. Thesegment units can be defined in terms of degrees of rotation of thespool, or in terms of linear travel distance of a lace.

The motion profile concept involves grouping one or move movements ofthe drive mechanism into a profile to command a certain desired outcome.Each motion profile will include parameters to control drive mechanism1010 movement. In an example, the parameters are viewed in terms ofcontrolling spool 1009 movement. The motion profiles can be generatedfrom a table of movements. The motion profiles can be modified byadditional global parameters, such as gear reduction multipliers and/orscaling factors associated with battery voltage. For example, the motioncontrol techniques discussed below in reference to FIGS. 8 and 9, canmodify a scaling factor that will subsequently be used to modify themotion profiles.

FIG. 5 illustrates using a tightness continuum position to build a tableof motion profiles based on current tightness continuum position anddesired end position. The motion profiles can then be translated intospecific inputs from user input buttons. In this example, the motionprofiles include parameters of spool motion, such as acceleration (Accel(deg/s/s)), velocity (Vel (deg/s)), deceleration (Dec (deg/s/s)), andangle of movement (Angle (deg)). In some examples, the movementparameters can be alternatively expressed in terms of lace movementacceleration, velocity, deceleration and linear distance.

FIG. 6 depicts example motion profiles plotted on a velocity over timegraph. Graph 601 illustrates velocity of time profiles for differentmotion profiles, such as a home-to-comfort profile and a relax profile.The graph 602 illustrates a detangle movement profile, where the systemis tightened and loosened in rapid succession to work on eliminating atangle within the drive mechanism 1040 (e.g., where the lace getstangled in the spool 1043.

FIG. 7 is a graphic illustrating example user inputs to activate variousmotion profiles along the tightness continuum. For example, a shortbutton activation on the plus actuator can be programmed to move toprogressively tighter position along the continuum, such as fromHome/Loose to Comfort. Conversely, a short button activation on thenegative actuator can be programmed to move to progressively looserposition, such as from Performance to Comfort. A double press ofindividual buttons can activate different profiles. For example, adouble press on the plus actuator can be programmed to more rapidly moveto the next progressively tighter position on the continuum, such asfrom Performance to Max Tightness. While a double press on the negativeactuator can be programmed to transition all the way back to Home/Looseposition, regardless of starting position. Holding an actuator buttoncan be programmed to tighten (plus actuator) or loosen (negativeactuator) until released or a stop is reached (e.g., Max Tightness orHome/Loose).

FIGS. 8 and 9 include flowcharts illustrating example drive mechanismcontrol schemes based at least in part on different operating zonesbased on battery voltage levels. In devices utilizing motors powered bybatteries, the available battery voltage can have a direct effect on thespeed (velocity) the motor is able to operate at, with the higher theavailable voltage the higher the speed. Batteries generally have a rangeof operating voltages that they deliver from fully charged to a lowbattery level (systems are usually designed not to completelydeplete/discharge a battery). During the discharge cycle, the voltagesupplied by a battery will gradually decrease until a battery managementsystem (BMS) shuts down the battery to avoid damage from discharge. Forexample, in a particular design of the lacing engine discussed herein, abattery with an operating voltage range of 4.3 v to 3.6 v can be used.Over this operating range the motor will naturally exhibit a potentiallywide variation in output speed, without some form of motor control. Incertain devices a variable in motor output speed can result in anegative consumer impression and/or an undesirable variation inperceived or actual performance. For example, a lacing engine mayexhibit an undesirable variation in the maximum amount of lace tightnessor an undesirable variation in the time it takes to attain a desiredtightness level. Accordingly, to resolve these potentially undesirableperformance variations, a motor control scheme was devised to smooth outthe motor output speed over at least a portion of the voltage operatingrange of the motor. In this example, two operating zones were choosen sothat over a portion of the operating range the motor can be operated ata level of performance above what is possible at the low end of theoperating voltage range, while still eliminating some of the undesirablevariations in performance. Use of this scheme can also provide thebenefit of delivering a more consistent user experience, such as speedof operation and audible motor sounds during operation.

In this example, a voltage threshold is selected as the lower end of aprimary operating voltage range. In some examples, a desired operatingspeed is selected instead of or as a means of determining a thresholdvoltage. In these examples, the motor being used has a more or lessdirect relationship between input voltage and output speed (velocity),accordingly choosing one ends up determining the other. At the selectedor determined voltage threshold, the motor can be operated at 100% dutycycle to attain a target output speed. At voltages above the thresholdvoltage, the motor can be operated at less than 100% duty cycle toenable the motor to maintain the target output speed. Accordingly, atall operating voltage deliverable by the battery above the thresholdvoltage, the motor can be operated at a constant output speed. Thecontrol scheme provides a more consistent user experience in terms ofperformance, including lace tightening speed, tension, and audiblefeedback to the user. One additional benefit, results for an operatingparameter, such as audible feedback, changing when the battery voltagedrops below the threshold voltage. Such a change in a noticeableoperating parameter can be an indication to a user that the batteryneeds to be charged.

In this example, once the battery voltage drops below the thresholdvoltage the system performance drops to a level consistent with thelowest operating voltage (sometimes referred to as the critically lowbattery level). The drop in output performance of the drive system canbe an indicator to the user that the battery needs to be charged soon.The drop in performance can be designed in such a way to allow for aperiod of continued operation at the lower performance level.

In an example lacing system, a battery with an operating range of 4.3 vto 3.6 v can be used. In this system, a threshold voltage of 3.8 v canbe selected. At battery voltages above 3.8 v, the system operates at atarget output speed equal to the output speed at 100% duty cycle at 3.8v. Accordingly, when the battery is fully charged (4.3 v) the processorcircuit 1020 can modulate the power delivered to the motor to attain thetarget output speed. Accordingly, at 4.3 v the motor will be operated atsomething less than 100% duty cycle. Once the voltage deliverable by thebattery drops below 3.8 v, the system drops performance to so that thetarget output speed is equal to the output speed at 100% duty cycle at3.6 v (critically low battery level in this example system).

FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a motor control technique 800,according to an example embodiment. In this example, the system 1000 canimplement the motor or drive system control technique 800 includingoperations such as segmenting an operating range (810), defining aplurality of moves (820), creating a plurality of motion profiles (830),and commanding movements (840).

Motor control technique 800 can begin at operation 810 with theprocessor circuit 1020 segmenting an operating range, such as continuumof travel 410, into different control segments. In some examples, at 810the processor circuit 1020 accesses a set of control segments for aparticular operating range, as the set of control segments can bepredetermined for a particular system. As illustrated in FIG. 4, thecontrol segments can include segments ranging from detangling segments415 to max tightness segments 440. Each control segment can represent adifferent amount of travel, expressed in degrees of rotation or lineardistance. Segmenting the continuum of travel into different sizedsegment can simplify motion profiles using the control segments byautomatically varying the movement sizes based on where along thecontinuum of travel the system is operating. For example, a singlebutton push when the footwear platform is in a home (loose) state, canresult in a much greater amount of lace travel being commanded versuswhen the footwear platform is near a maximum tightness state. In certainexamples, the definition of control segments is performed outside thesystem 1000, with operating instructions for system 1000 utilizing thepreprogrammed control segments. In these examples, the processor circuit1020 can access preprogrammed control segment from a data structurestored in memory within system 1000.

At 820, the motor control technique 800 can continue with the processorcircuit 1020 defining (or accessing) a plurality of motor moves. Themotor moves can be defined in terms of control segments, such as movetwo home segments 420 and three comfort segments 425. The motor movescan also include performance parameters, such as acceleration, velocity,and deceleration. In some examples, the motor moves can include adistance parameter defined in terms of control segments, degrees ofrotation, or linear travel distance. Operation 820 is another operationwhich can be preprogrammed into the instructions loaded into system1000, in this scenario processor circuit 1020 can access preprogrammedmotor moves from a table or similar data structure stored in memory onsystem 1000.

At 830, the motor control technique 800 can continue with processorcircuit creating (or accessing) a plurality of motion profiles. Themotion profiles can include one or more motor moves. The motor moveswithin a motion profile can be defined to reach different states for thefootwear platform, such as a loose (home) state or a maximum tightnessstate. Operation 830 is another operation that can be preprogrammed intoinstructions loaded into system 1000, when preprogrammed the processorcircuit 1020 accesses motion profiles when commanding movements.

At 840, the motor control technique 800 continues with processor circuit1020 using motion profiles to command movements of drive mechanism 1040.Commanding movements can include selecting motion profiles based on acurrent location along a travel continuum. For example, the processorcircuit 1020 only selects a return home motion profile, when the systemis in a location away from the home position.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a motor control technique 900,according to example embodiments. In some examples, the motor controltechnique 900 further defines how the processor circuit 1020 commandsmovement according to operation 840 discussed above. In other examples,the motor control technique 900 can be implemented independently ofoperation 840 or motor control technique 800. In the illustratedexample, the motor control technique 900 can include operations such asdetermining a first target velocity (910), determining a second targetvelocity (920), measuring a battery voltage (930), determining if thebattery voltage transgresses a threshold (940), and setting a operatingparameter accordingly (950, 960).

At 910, the motor control technique 900 can begin with the processorcircuit 1020 determining (or accessing) a first target motor outputvelocity. In certain examples, the first target motor output velocity isdetermined based on determining an output velocity of the motor at athreshold battery voltage with the system operating at 100% duty cycle.In some examples, the first target velocity is preprogrammed into thesystem 1000, and the processor circuit 1020 merely accesses the firsttarget velocity at operation 910.

At 920, the motor control technique 900 can continue with the processorcircuit 1020 determining (or accessing) a second target motor outputvelocity. In certain examples, the second target motor output velocityis determined based on determining an output velocity at a criticallylow battery level (e.g., a lowest allowable operating voltage) with thesystem operating at 100% duty cycle. In some example, the second targetvelocity is preprogrammed into the system 1000, and the processorcircuit 1020 merely accesses the second target velocity at operation920.

In certain examples, the operations 910 and 920 are performed outsidethe real-time operation of system 1000. In these examples, the first andsecond target motor output velocities can be determined or selected. Inan example, a threshold battery voltage can be selected and used todetermine the first and second target motor output velocities. Inanother example, a first target motor output velocity can be selectedand used to determine a threshold voltage level. In this example, thethreshold voltage level is the level at which the system can attain theselected first target motor output velocity while running at 100% dutycycle.

At 930, the motor control technique 900 can continue with the processorcircuit 1020 receiving a signal indicative of the current battery outputvoltage that is being delivered to the drive mechanism 1040. In certainexamples, the processor circuit 1020 can include a volt meter, in otherexamples the battery, BMS, or another component can provide thenecessary signal indicative of voltage level to the processor circuit1020.

At 940, the motor control technique 900 continues with the processorcircuit 1020 using the voltage level indication to determine whether thevoltage being delivered to the motor transgresses a threshold voltage.As discussed above, in some examples, the system 1000 can be operatedwith a certain voltage range with certain operating parameters and in asecond voltage range with a second set of operating parameters.

If the voltage measured being delivered to the motor transgresses thethreshold voltage, then the motor control technique 900 continues at 950with the processor circuit 1020 operating the drive system 1040 using afirst set of operating characteristics (with at least one operatingparameter set to a first value). In an example, the controlled operatingparameter is output velocity for the motor, and the motor is controlledacross a range of input voltages at a single output velocity atoperation 950.

If the voltage measured being delivered to the motor does not transgressthe threshold voltage, then the motor control technique 900 continues at960 with the processor circuit 1020 operating the drive system 1040using a second set of operation characteristics. The operatingcharacteristics includes at least one operating parameter, which in thisexample is motor output velocity. In this example, the motor outputvelocity is operated at a second target velocity when the batteryvoltage falls below a predetermined threshold voltage. The operatingcharacteristic being controlled could also be current or duty cycle,among others.

The following examples provide additional details on the motor controltechniques discussed above.

EXAMPLES

The present inventors have recognized, among other things, a need for animproved motor control of a motorized lacing engine for automated andsemi-automated tightening of shoe laces. This document describes, amongother things, a homing mechanism for assisting in controlling amotorized lacing engine within a footwear platform. The followingexamples provide a non-limiting examples of a homing mechanism and amethod of using a homing mechanism within a lacing engine in thefootwear assembly discussed herein.

Example 1 describes subject matter including a homing apparatus within adrive mechanism of a lacing engine for an automated footwear platform.In this example, the homing apparatus can include an indexing wheel, aplurality of Geneva teeth and a stop tooth. The plurality of Genevateeth can be distributed around a portion of a perimeter of the indexingwheel. Each Geneva tooth of the plurality of Geneva teeth can includeside profiles conforming to a first side profile that generates a firstforce when engaged by an index tooth on a portion of the drivemechanism. The stop tooth can be located along the perimeter of theindexing wheel between two Geneva teeth. Additionally, the stop toothcan include side profiles conforming to a second side profile thatgenerates a second force when engaged by the index tooth.

In example 2, the subject matter of example 1 can optionally include thesecond force being larger than the first force.

In example 3, the subject matter of example 2 can optionally the secondforce being large enough to stall the drive mechanism to provideindication of reaching a home position. Alternatively, example 3 canoptionally include the second force generating a force profile unique tothe index tooth engaging the stop tooth.

In example 4, the subject matter of any one of examples 1 to 3 canoptionally include the first side profile including a curve. In thisexample, the first side profile operates to smooth out the force profilegenerated by the index tooth engaging one of the Geneva teeth.

In example 5, the subject matter of any one of examples 1 to 4 canoptionally include each Geneva tooth of the plurality of Geneva teethincluding a first side and a second side. In this example, the firstside can be shaped according to the first side profile and the secondside can be a mirror image of the first side.

In example 6, the subject matter of any one of examples 1 to 5 canoptionally include a portion of the drive mechanism having the indextooth that is an offset circular portion of a gear. In this example, asuperior surface of the offset circular portion can form a circle with aflat portion including the index tooth.

In example 7, the subject matter of example 6 can optionally includeeach Geneva tooth of the plurality of Geneva teeth including a radiusedouter edge having a radius conforming to the circular portion of theoffset circular portion of the drive mechanism.

In example 8, the subject matter of any one of examples 1 to 7 canoptionally include the plurality of Geneva teeth consisting of fourGeneva teeth, and the homing apparatus can allow for four completerevolutions of the portion of the drive mechanism including the indextooth between home locations.

In example 9, the subject matter of any one of examples 1 to 8 canoptionally include the generation of the second force including a forceprofile with a steep slope, wherein the force profile is indicative of amagnitude and a rate of the change in force.

In example 10, the subject matter of example 9 can optionally includethe lacing engine having a processor circuit, and the processor circuitbeing configured to detect the force profile created by the generationof the second force.

In example 11, the subject matter of example 10 can optionally includethe processor circuit being further configured to distinguish the forceprofile created by the generation of the second force from a secondforce profile created by the generation of a third force.

In example 12, the subject matter of example 11 can optionally includethe third force being transmitted to the lacing engine from the footwearplatform through a lace cable.

Example 13 describes a method of using a homing mechanism to home adrive mechanism within a lacing engine. In this example, the method caninclude the following operations. Commanding the drive mechanism to turna gear including an index tooth that engages a homing apparatus, wherethe homing apparatus can include a plurality of Geneva teeth and onestop tooth. Detecting a force associated with the index tooth engagingthe homing apparatus. Identifying a home position based on detectingwhen the force matches a pre-determined force profile.

In example 14, the subject matter of example 13 can optionally includedetecting when the force matches a pre-determined force profileincluding detecting that the force exceeds a pre-determined thresholdforce.

In example 15, the subject matter of example 13 can optionally includedetecting when the force matches a pre-determined force profileincluding detecting a force profile with a high rate of change.

In example 16, the subject matter of example 13 can optionally includedetecting when the force matches a pre-determined force profileincluding detecting a force profile with a high magnitude and a highrate of change.

In example 17, the subject matter of example 13 can optionally includeupon detecting a force profile matching the pre-determined force profileputting the drive mechanism in a home state.

Example 18 describes a lacing engine for an automated footwear platformincluding a homing mechanism. The lacing engine can include a spool anda drive mechanism. The spool can be adapted for receiving a portion of alace for securing the footwear platform to a user's foot. The drivemechanism can be adapted for rotating the spool about a first axis totake up or release lace from the spool. The drive mechanism can includea worm gear and a homing mechanism. The worm gear can include an indextooth. The homing mechanism can include an indexing wheel adapted toengage the index tooth and stall the drive mechanism at least onerotational position. The indexing wheel can include a plurality ofGeneva teeth and a stop tooth. The plurality of Geneva teeth can bedistributed around a portion of a perimeter of the indexing wheel. Thestop tooth can be located along the perimeter of the indexing wheelbetween two Geneva teeth, with the stop tooth being adapted to stall thedrive mechanism.

In example 19, the subject matter of example 18 can optionally includeeach Geneva tooth of the plurality of Geneva teeth having side profilesconforming to a first side profile that generates a first force whenengaged by an index tooth on a portion of the drive mechanism.

In example 20, the subject matter of example 19 can optionally includethe stop tooth having side profiles conforming to a second side profilethat generates a second force when engaged by the index tooth.

In example 21, the subject matter of example 20 can optionally include aprocessor circuit configured to determine whether a detected force is afirst force generated by a Geneva tooth or a second force generated by astop tooth.

Additional Notes

Throughout this specification, plural instances may implementcomponents, operations, or structures described as a single instance.Although individual operations of one or more methods are illustratedand described as separate operations, one or more of the individualoperations may be performed concurrently, and nothing requires that theoperations be performed in the order illustrated. Structures andfunctionality presented as separate components in example configurationsmay be implemented as a combined structure or component. Similarly,structures and functionality presented as a single component may beimplemented as separate components. These and other variations,modifications, additions, and improvements fall within the scope of thesubject matter herein.

Although an overview of the inventive subject matter has been describedwith reference to specific example embodiments, various modificationsand changes may be made to these embodiments without departing from thebroader scope of embodiments of the present disclosure. Such embodimentsof the inventive subject matter may be referred to herein, individuallyor collectively, by the term “invention” merely for convenience andwithout intending to voluntarily limit the scope of this application toany single disclosure or inventive concept if more than one is, in fact,disclosed.

The embodiments illustrated herein are described in sufficient detail toenable those skilled in the art to practice the teachings disclosed.Other embodiments may be used and derived therefrom, such thatstructural and logical substitutions and changes may be made withoutdeparting from the scope of this disclosure. The disclosure, therefore,is not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of variousembodiments includes the full range of equivalents to which thedisclosed subject matter is entitled.

As used herein, the term “or” may be construed in either an inclusive orexclusive sense. Moreover, plural instances may be provided forresources, operations, or structures described herein as a singleinstance. Additionally, boundaries between various resources,operations, modules, engines, and data stores are somewhat arbitrary,and particular operations are illustrated in a context of specificillustrative configurations. Other allocations of functionality areenvisioned and may fall within a scope of various embodiments of thepresent disclosure. In general, structures and functionality presentedas separate resources in the example configurations may be implementedas a combined structure or resource. Similarly, structures andfunctionality presented as a single resource may be implemented asseparate resources. These and other variations, modifications,additions, and improvements fall within a scope of embodiments of thepresent disclosure as represented by the appended claims. Thespecification and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in anillustrative rather than a restrictive sense.

Each of these non-limiting examples can stand on its own, or can becombined in various permutations or combinations with one or more of theother examples.

The above detailed description includes references to the accompanyingdrawings, which form a part of the detailed description. The drawingsshow, by way of illustration, specific embodiments in which theinvention can be practiced. These embodiments are also referred toherein as “examples.” Such examples can include elements in addition tothose shown or described. However, the present inventors alsocontemplate examples in which only those elements shown or described areprovided. Moreover, the present inventors also contemplate examplesusing any combination or permutation of those elements shown ordescribed (or one or more aspects thereof), either with respect to aparticular example (or one or more aspects thereof), or with respect toother examples (or one or more aspects thereof) shown or describedherein.

In the event of inconsistent usages between this document and anydocuments so incorporated by reference, the usage in this documentcontrols.

In this document, the terms “a” or “an” are used, as is common in patentdocuments, to include one or more than one, independent of any otherinstances or usages of “at least one” or “one or more.” In thisdocument, the term “or” is used to refer to a nonexclusive or, such that“A or B” includes “A but not B,” “B but not A,” and “A and B,” unlessotherwise indicated. In this document, the terms “including” and “inwhich” are used as the plain-English equivalents of the respective terms“comprising” and “wherein.” Also, in the following claims, the terms“including” and “comprising” are open-ended, that is, a system, device,article, composition, formulation, or process that includes elements inaddition to those listed after such a term in a claim are still deemedto fall within the scope of that claim. Moreover, in the followingclaims, the terms “first,” “second,” and “third,” etc. are used merelyas labels, and are not intended to impose numerical requirements ontheir objects.

Method examples described herein, such as the motor control examples,can be machine or computer-implemented at least in part. Some examplescan include a computer-readable medium or machine-readable mediumencoded with instructions operable to configure an electronic device toperform methods as described in the above examples. An implementation ofsuch methods can include code, such as microcode, assembly languagecode, a higher-level language code, or the like. Such code can includecomputer readable instructions for performing various methods. The codemay form portions of computer program products. Further, in an example,the code can be tangibly stored on one or more volatile, non-transitory,or non-volatile tangible computer-readable media, such as duringexecution or at other times. Examples of these tangiblecomputer-readable media can include, but are not limited to, hard disks,removable magnetic disks, removable optical disks (e.g., compact disksand digital video disks), magnetic cassettes, memory cards or sticks,random access memories (RAMs), read only memories (ROMs), and the like.

The above description is intended to be illustrative, and notrestrictive. For example, the above-described examples (or one or moreaspects thereof) may be used in combination with each other. Otherembodiments can be used, such as by one of ordinary skill in the artupon reviewing the above description. An Abstract, if provided, isincluded to comply with 37 C.F.R. § 1.72(b), to allow the reader toquickly ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. It issubmitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpretor limit the scope or meaning of the claims. Also, in the aboveDescription, various features may be grouped together to streamline thedisclosure. This should not be interpreted as intending that anunclaimed disclosed feature is essential to any claim. Rather, inventivesubject matter may lie in less than all features of a particulardisclosed embodiment. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporatedinto the Detailed Description as examples or embodiments, with eachclaim standing on its own as a separate embodiment, and it iscontemplated that such embodiments can be combined with each other invarious combinations or permutations. The scope of the invention shouldbe determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the fullscope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.

The claimed invention includes:
 1. An article of footwear, comprising:an upper portion including a lace to adjust fit of the upper portionagainst a foot, the lace adjustable between a first position and asecond position based at least in part on manipulation of an effectivelength of the lace; a lower portion including a mid-sole and anout-sole, the lower portion coupled to the upper portion at themid-sole; a battery, positioned in the lower portion; a lacing engine,coupled to the power source, including: a lace spool to engage the laceto enable manipulation of the effective length of the lace throughrotation of the lace spool; a gear coupled to the lace spool; a motoroperatively coupled to the worm drive, wherein the motor is configuredto turn the worm drive to rotate the worm gear and the lace spool in aforward direction; and an indexing system, coupled to the gear,configured to home the gear in case the motor disengages; a controller,operatively coupled to the lacing engine, configured to cause the lacingengine to rotate the lace spool to adjust between the first position andthe second position.
 2. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein theindexing system is configured to home the gear to a predeterminedorientation.
 3. The article of footwear of claim 2, wherein thepredetermined orientation corresponds to a predetermined tension on thelace.
 4. The article of footwear of claim 3, wherein the gear is a wormgear.
 5. The article of footwear of claim 4, wherein the lacing enginefurther comprises a worm drive, engaged with the worm gear andoperatively coupled to the motor, wherein the motor is configured todrive the worm drive.
 6. The article of footwear of claim 5, furthercomprising a user interface, wherein the lacing engine is configured toswitch among the plurality of preset tension settings based oninteraction with the user interface.
 7. The article of footwear of claim6, wherein the user interface is configured to increase the increase thetension on the lace based on touching the user interface in a firstlocation and decrease the tension on the lace based on touching the userinterface in a second location.
 8. The article of footwear of claim 7,wherein the user interface comprises a molded covering.
 9. The articleof footwear of claim 8, wherein the preset tightened state correspondsto a state including a shortest effective lace length and the presetloosened state corresponds to a state including a longest effective lacelength.
 10. The article of footwear of claim 9, wherein thepredetermined orientation corresponds to the preset loosened state. 11.A method of making an article of footwear, comprising: engaging a lacewith an upper portion to adjust fit of the upper portion against a foot,the lace adjustable between a first position and a second position basedat least in part on manipulation of an effective length of the lace;coupling a lower portion to the upper, the lower portion including amid-sole and an out-sole; positioning a battery in the lower portion;coupling a lacing engine to the power source, the lacing engineincluding: a lace spool to engage the lace to enable manipulation of theeffective length of the lace through rotation of the lace spool; a gearcoupled to the lace spool; a motor operatively coupled to the wormdrive, wherein the motor is configured to turn the worm drive to rotatethe worm gear and the lace spool in a forward direction; and an indexingsystem, coupled to the gear, configured to home the gear in case themotor disengages: operatively coupling a controller to the lacingengine, configured to cause the lacing engine to rotate the lace spoolto adjust between the first position and the second position.
 12. Themethod of claim 11, wherein the indexing system is configured to homethe gear to a predetermined orientation.
 13. The method of claim 12,wherein the predetermined orientation corresponds to a predeterminedtension on the lace.
 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the gear is aworm gear.
 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the lacing engine furthercomprises a worm drive, engaged with the worm gear and operativelycoupled to the motor, wherein the motor is configured to drive the wormdrive.
 16. The method of claim 15, further comprising operativelycoupling a user interface to the controller, wherein the lacing engineis configured to switch among the plurality of preset tension settingsbased on interaction with the user interface.
 17. The method of claim16, wherein the user interface is configured to increase the increasethe tension on the lace based on touching the user interface in a firstlocation and decrease the tension on the lace based on touching the userinterface in a second location.
 18. The method of claim 17, wherein theuser interface comprises a molded covering.
 19. The method of claim 18,wherein the preset tightened state corresponds to a state including ashortest effective lace length and the preset loosened state correspondsto a state including a longest effective lace length.
 20. The method ofclaim 19, wherein the predetermined orientation corresponds to thepreset loosened state.